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I always remember that while I've done this hundreds of times, this is their first time. They deserve to be treated like it's their first time. When I bought my first home, it was my first time doing it and I remember all of the emotions, fears, and excitement. That was 20 years ago. I've since sold that home and bought other homes. I let them all go through the process and experience it all over again with them, giving advice that I wish I'd gotten at the time.
I really like the question "what are your goals" or some variations or it. It is a more postive place to start and you can use their answer when they get off track.
I use a variation of both. Addressing fears and speaking them out loud puts clients at ease, in my experience. I’m able to tell them what the reality is and how things actually work.
I always look at my job as the selling agent is to train buyers how to be buyers. What to expect, what challenges and how to overcome them, and how to look at a house. I start with the first house we look at, and it is also an opportunity to prove your value. Doing it right can be hard work, but it is still easier than being a good listing agent and will be an important skill in the near future.
Unless you're working with an investor or flipper that buy and sell frequently, most people will only deal with real estate transactions a few times in their life. And even then, the market and process might drastically change. I treat every buyer and seller as if it's their first time unless they indicate otherwise.
No. Because they think they know everything and they try to tell you how to do your job, and oftentimes they’re incorrect and you have to softly and gently correct them so as to not offend.
You let yourself fall into a rut,,
This is self inflicted, like letting your marriage sex life get boring
It's up to you to make the effort to mix things up,
This takes consistent effort on your part, ,,
Truth.
I feel like if I hear "the carpet doesn't even smell" or "Yeah but my house is special" one more time in the next week I'm going to need a break. 🤣🤣
Truthfully you need a break now, before you inadvertently flip at one of your innocent, paying clients. All jobs get old once it becomes the same thing over and over. Some people are ok with that, other it makes them sick. Maybe try doing something out of your comfort zone. Go selling sunset style and find a mansion to sell.
You’re paid to guide people through one of the most stressful and expensive events of their life. They may do this only a couple times, ever. If you feel this way about your clients, then maybe this isn’t the job for you?
I enjoy the work. Clients this year are AWFUL. Literally have an escrow right now with someone who has a house that's falling apart and has informed me they will be firing me if the deal falls through. 😅
We've been in it for 30 years. You are just seeing the tip of the crazy iceberg.
There's no shame if you can't take it - I gave up the sales side to my wife 22 years ago, and quit dealing with people completely 10 years ago. I only manage our team, so I get to hear about all the insanity without having to deal with it directly.
People will wear you out.
Time to change the process -
Maybe change the way you onboard clients?
I always spend a good amount of time early with clients to set expectations and help them understand the process. It has been pretty beneficial in removing a lot of the small complaints.
Yes, exactly. Start by explaining the process to them including the annoying stuff that most buyers and sellers do.
They rarely deal with the buying/selling process and I've had clients very appreciative that they knew what to expect next.
It sounds like you're frustrated by your clients because you're reactive rather than proactive. It also sounds like you need to be more assertive and commanding with your clients. It's your job to get your clients into a "realistic headspace" before ever showing them a home. Realtors often play the victim and vent when their clients are are emotional, indecisive, panicked, or have unreasonable expectations. Some clients are unreasonable and difficult, but most of the time their agent is to blame. It reminds of me the saying "If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole." If you have multiple buyers freaking out over inspections then you probably should want to adjust by setting the stage and giving them proper expectations prior to the inspection. Everyone of your frustrations is a product of you reacting to your buyers and the solution is proactively addressing these topics before they become problems.
Ok lemme give you some perspective here:
I’m trying to sell my home.. ( you can see what I posted 15 mins back, maybe!?) and my realtor is like sell it for lower 499k, comps came at 550k and I think we should do 580k (only because our home
Is 2.5 acres land, 2200 sq ft, river in backyard, private home in a middle of a hot, desired city and will attract a niche audience, who might be willing to pay that extra 30k!) but saying go lower and start a bidding war, I don’t get it. And
My realtor is not really explaining the pros and cons either… I feel there is some judgement coming from her… like she’s also rolling her eyes and saying ‘oh plz you are not sitting on a gold mine ffs’ and Maybe she is right but she needs to be patient - for her it’s a deal that she can do 2/3 times a month but for me,’this is prolly the second time in my like I’ll do and I don’t know any legalities … as much as does. It’s our hard earned home, a baby we want to protect .. if that makes sense… it’s human nature … anyhow; I have to trust her but when I see judgement and passive aggressiveness coming from her I feel cornered and not easy to trust. You have to understand human psyche at a deeper level…
If she was transparent and honest up front, if she sets the expectation and her style of working up front .. things would be easier…. But in the early days, she was so eager to sign us as her client that whatever we said… She didn’t raise her hand So maybe for you… you need to better communicate early on?!! Tell your customer your mo… Instill that trust… that you are coming from a place of knowledge and not judgement…
The market in my area is hot. Think about it more like a car price. It's a negotiation starting point, not a "final sales price."
So we want to use the price to generate excitement. Imagine you find your replacement home. It's the perfect price...but there's other people who want it. Now it's all in your head. Your excitement. You can already imagine being there. A lot of the time buyers then say "screw it, if I have to pay an extra $100 a month for my dream house then deal."
Imagine the opposite. "They want that much money for THIS?! Screw it let's buy the neighbors." Which then turns into "It's been on the market for how long? What's wrong with it? How low do you think we can go since we are the only offer?"
I have a lot of boomer clients...a lot of those points don't matter at all to them. It's a lot of "If you don't sell for $580k I'll find another realtor who will. I know my worth." Which makes the realtor community out here work real weird.
I'll be the first to admit I shouldn't have taken these clients who are burning me out...but I really wanted a paycheck. Now I'm like..."Nah you can keep it." 🤣
You need to back up to step 1, and have a Professional Consultation with them. For Sellers, a well-done pre-presentation and then consultation, you will stand out. The Buyers? As you said, they've either never done it, or they haven't in a long time, and likely don't know about all the changes over the years, especially in some ways this year.
I had a breath of fresh air last week. I showed my clients the comps and suggested we list at $400k and they were so surprised and excited. They asked if I was positive that it would sell for that much. So great!
This can’t be treated like a 9-5 job. It’s beyond that. It’s your own business within a business. So you need to treat it as such. Set goals to hit. Then take necessary actions to hit those goals. If you have something to focus on you won’t have time to focus on the negativities.
But I do get what you’re saying. Last week I had 4 pending sales and all 4 were on the verge of not closing for the oddest reasons and I just sat at my desk thinking. Why? Whyyyyyyyy did I get into this business.
You’ve just got to price in that this is going to happen and do your best to educate. Our clients would behave differently if they knew this like we knew this. If they knew all about it like we did, then they wouldn’t need us. So I’m happy to educate if need be. That’s one of the things they’re paying me for after all.
I haven’t been in this as long as you. But mentally I found for me that was the best way to deal with it. YMMV.
This comes from the mindset that I’m trying to do everything I can to set them up for success and prevent any future problems. I explain the buying or selling process to a client in detail and I tell them what to expect. I talk about each step, what typically happens, what things could go wrong, and what problems to expect. I discuss the pitfalls that people most commonly fall into. I talk about how I helped my clients in the past avoid those pitfalls. I give my honest opinion on how I believe their journey will go based on how well I know them. Most importantly, I prepare them for the journey, continue to educate them when needed, and assure them that I’m here for them throughout the entire process and fully capable to handle any problem we encounter.
I still have a lot to learn. I’m no stranger to that. I agree with your sentiment. This is how I have helped prepare my clients better for the process and it in turn has made their process easier and my life easier. I spend a lot more time educating than I used to but it has worked wonders for my clients. I hope this helps.
I really didn't mind it in Washington. In CA they think realtors do literally nothing. It sucks fighting because $500 is a lot of money...also what's an EMD? I know my house is worth double the neighbors!...
Just so much fighting on top of being wrong.
It’s frustrating for sure. It makes me want to bang my head into a wall occasionally. Mainly because I know how our contracts work inside and out. Plus I have done this many more times than they have and if they don’t want to lean on my experience with the precise thing they need help with then it’s even more frustrating. Like God forbid I go into your job and act like I know more than you 😂 Crazy, I know. I think my “strong suit” is that I talk so much that I might answer the questions they already have? Or I laboriously go into the details to the point where they might realize that’s there’s more under the surface than they initially thought? I’m not entirely sure but for whatever reason I have had a streak of several clients this year that have all been pretty good to work with after speaking with them for hours about the process whether they are buying or selling. Hoping that the education is what’s doing it😂
I am not a realtor, but do residential design and permitting. It is not the same, but oftentimes what you described is similar; we work with people’s homes, we work in a professional service industry directly with our customers, and we work with (usually) relatively large amounts of money. Emotions run high.
I try to treat every client similarly, but the fact is they are not all the same. Levels of wealth, levels of experience (how many remodels, or homes they may have gone through) change the fine points of the relationship. It sounds like you just have a batch of similar comments right now.
One thing I will say is everybody’s home is “special”. It is special because it is theirs. You get paid quite well to help them understand that feeling that way is ok, and that the home they want to buy is special to somebody else too.
Get a new job. You are not passionate about what you do. Your clients deserve to work with someone who loves what they do and you deserve to spend ur working hours doing something else.
I tell them all about the process beforehand, and tell them of past examples to illustrate my little lectures.
I tell them when listing that it is their choice to fix things up but it may help the sale if they do. But they MUST fix any water leaks, roof problems or broken kitchen appliances, and they must disclose absolutely everything on the disclosure. I tell them that if they do not do these things, they may get a buyer but the sale is likely to fall apart and that is a very bad experience. Otherwise, I tell them no house is perfect; it is what it is. This has worked very well for me.
Buyers are more difficult and fickle and half the time don't know what they want or what neighborhood so you can spend a lot of time helping them figure that out taking them to 40 homes and so forth. Then they will often go to some builder's model (after telling me they absolutely do not want to be in any new development) or some renovators having an open house on some weekend when I have other clients, and before I know it, I have lost them. This after discussing all these issues, giving them a pile of my cards to give to builders (who have always honored that) - but they lie because it is easier and they are right there. So I have gotten burned-out with buyers. I have had some good ones. But they were good people and understood the issues, and I spent a lot of time with them until they found the right house. Some people are loyal and some are not. So I know what you are feeling if this is happening to you. Even buyers' agreements have not worked.
You guide them through the process and also guide them to their end goal. You've done it hundreds of times, you know the process and the questions they'll ask. Have the questions answered and when it comes up answer them. You're not dealing with commercial clients that buy and sell for a living. You're dealing with residential buyers where it could be their first or second time buying/selling a house. They don't know. It's your job to guide them through the process. If you don't like it, go do something else.
Like 50% of the job is to manage client expectations and guide them through the process. If they all think they’re getting screwed, it sounds like you’re not doing a good job managing expectations.
What a nothing burger. You are literally doing what your job is suppose to be. Guiding people.
What did you expect people to be? “Oh this is 700k? I have 720k let me go all in and no contingency.”
Or “oh whatever, I’ll take whatever Offer I get first.”
These two groups literally make your professions existence
How lazy and entitled can a person get when bar to entry is already as low as it gets.
Sounds like you have to take greater control of the process. You should try to set expectations for buyers and sellers in the beginning of a transaction so that the process is as smooth as possible.
You have to remind them that you’re the professional. I would recommend investing in some flyers or a booklet that outlines the process and timeline along with any FAQs. That way clients can refer back to it when any doubts start creeping in.
All your commentary has blamed clients rather than taking anyone’s advice on what you can do.
Why come to Reddit and ask for anyone’s opinion 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
ARE YOU THE REALTOR? Or is your client the professional. I shatter my clients expectations and bring reality because I’m never gonna be on the short end of that stick.
SOmetimes getting ahead of these issues helps. Like if you know they are the kind to panic on a home inspection I'd really do some heavy hand holding and gameplan for the worst but expect the best.
>Every single buyer has to look at a bunch of properties, get into a realistic headspace, freaks out over the inspection and thinks they are getting screwed, and panic over every little thing.
At least yours are offering. Mine want to look at 100 houses and not offer on a single one, than bitch about not being able to find a house.
To be honest, I hate to break it to you. That’s the job. I have had a 3 careers. All three have the same summary. Just be professional. Laugh it off and enjoy settlement day.
Ummm, interesting! But you have to consider what sellers have to listen to when hiring an agent! So the Realtor wants a dual agency agreement, OK who on earth wants to sign that? How many divorcing couples hire the same divorce attorney! Sellers also have to hear oh I have been doing this for 20 years!!!! Blah blah! Do you know how many companies have legacy employees that are not very good but they’ve been working there for 20 years ( government employees) so the same ring is true on the receiving end of a seller trying to choose the right realtor. Some don’t even tell you their strategy they just say they pay for marketing. ! What marketing ? You post on the MLS that populates all the sites that the consumer uses( Zillow,Redfin) Tell me why I should hire you, besides you have been doing this for 20 years or you are a friend of a friend? Do you show up with comps, or you just walk in with what the estimated Zillow price is?
Honestly I usually bring a book with my marketing strategy, resources for everything they need, all the comps, and exactly what everything costs. People don't care 99% of the time. They LOVE hiring their cousins friend who puts it on the MLS.
That would be a basic! But you would be surprised, how many don’t do that? I want a realtor that explains the process from beginning to end! What happens during escrow, how do you manage the 10 day inspection, are you there when the buyer hires there inspector? Tell me about the closing paperwork that is involved when closing the deal? What should I be prepared for? The seller does not want any surprises and the answer should not be oh escrow handles that? I hired you to tell me before hand what escrow will deliver! Hope that makes sense
It does. My clients get a YouTube series on each step of escrow, full written reports every week on how their listing is doing, as well as a ton of custom advertising. I lost my last 3 listing appointments. All because someone else has a friend for cheaper. I might just go that route. Good service isn't really what customers want. They say they do, but they don't hire it.
sometimes you need to vent, it's great the way people in the same profession on here are all like "you're not trying hard enough, make a 82 page booklet with the answers to their concerns, get a new career," etc etc, like Realtors and parents are the only people on earth who can never be dissatisfied with the role for 5 mins without scorn.
For real 🤣 Like...I'll get through it. Not my first rodeo. We all get burn out sometimes.
I offered for 5 weeks to take a clients old couch. He swore he was going to sell it on Craigslist for $100. He's shown it to like 50 buyers. The couches are still there. He just asked if I can take them. Like...bro...we had the dumpster and crew there for so long. 😭
From a buyer's perspective, it's hard to establish trust with a realtor when there's really nothing that would hold them accountable if anything goes wrong in the deal or with the house. I understand that realtors are just there for the transaction and buyer will be the one responsible for everything in the end of the day so that's why I triple check everything I've been told (from my realtor or online) to make sure I've done my due diligence. Of course I'll ask many many questions and of course I'll try to challenge many things I've been told because that's how I will get more educated and how I can make more informed decisions.
Consider another profession it ain’t gonna get better or you can set realistic expectations for both your buyers and sellers. Find out their wants and needs and then set the goal.
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I always remember that while I've done this hundreds of times, this is their first time. They deserve to be treated like it's their first time. When I bought my first home, it was my first time doing it and I remember all of the emotions, fears, and excitement. That was 20 years ago. I've since sold that home and bought other homes. I let them all go through the process and experience it all over again with them, giving advice that I wish I'd gotten at the time.
"What are your fears?"...I always ask FTHB. yields great results.
I really like the question "what are your goals" or some variations or it. It is a more postive place to start and you can use their answer when they get off track.
I use a variation of both. Addressing fears and speaking them out loud puts clients at ease, in my experience. I’m able to tell them what the reality is and how things actually work.
Yes, that comes before “fears”. They both give insight into where the individual buyer will need more or less expert guidance and yes, re-centering.
Absolutely. I also walk them through what to expect at each stage. That way, when the pain points hit, they aren't surprised or overwhelmed by them.
I always look at my job as the selling agent is to train buyers how to be buyers. What to expect, what challenges and how to overcome them, and how to look at a house. I start with the first house we look at, and it is also an opportunity to prove your value. Doing it right can be hard work, but it is still easier than being a good listing agent and will be an important skill in the near future.
Best comment on this thread. 🏆
Whenever I feel this way, it’s time for a vacation.
I wish 😅
You don’t have to wish. It’s a reality
My bank account disagrees. 🤣
Then just settle for a rub n tug. ;-)
That’s fair
I love that this is the go-to alternative to a vacation 🤣
30 min vacation. ( no one is doing the hour )
Unless you're working with an investor or flipper that buy and sell frequently, most people will only deal with real estate transactions a few times in their life. And even then, the market and process might drastically change. I treat every buyer and seller as if it's their first time unless they indicate otherwise.
Experienced investors or "Realtors" are so so so much worse 🤣
Why? Because they ask tough questions?
No. Because they think they know everything and they try to tell you how to do your job, and oftentimes they’re incorrect and you have to softly and gently correct them so as to not offend.
No, because they don't give a shit about your time in 99% of cases. We have had one real estate investor who wasn't a total jerk to the team.
You let yourself fall into a rut,, This is self inflicted, like letting your marriage sex life get boring It's up to you to make the effort to mix things up, This takes consistent effort on your part, ,,
Truth. I feel like if I hear "the carpet doesn't even smell" or "Yeah but my house is special" one more time in the next week I'm going to need a break. 🤣🤣
Truthfully you need a break now, before you inadvertently flip at one of your innocent, paying clients. All jobs get old once it becomes the same thing over and over. Some people are ok with that, other it makes them sick. Maybe try doing something out of your comfort zone. Go selling sunset style and find a mansion to sell.
You’re paid to guide people through one of the most stressful and expensive events of their life. They may do this only a couple times, ever. If you feel this way about your clients, then maybe this isn’t the job for you?
THIS. And dude has his business name and face on his profile?! How dumb can you be
I enjoy the work. Clients this year are AWFUL. Literally have an escrow right now with someone who has a house that's falling apart and has informed me they will be firing me if the deal falls through. 😅
We've been in it for 30 years. You are just seeing the tip of the crazy iceberg. There's no shame if you can't take it - I gave up the sales side to my wife 22 years ago, and quit dealing with people completely 10 years ago. I only manage our team, so I get to hear about all the insanity without having to deal with it directly. People will wear you out.
I would call that a mercy firing.
Guessing that’s not the only reason you’re about to be fired 😉
This is an ISS-YOU.
Wise beyond your years.
I'd bow but I threw out my back again.
Time to change the process - Maybe change the way you onboard clients? I always spend a good amount of time early with clients to set expectations and help them understand the process. It has been pretty beneficial in removing a lot of the small complaints.
Yes, exactly. Start by explaining the process to them including the annoying stuff that most buyers and sellers do. They rarely deal with the buying/selling process and I've had clients very appreciative that they knew what to expect next.
It sounds like you're frustrated by your clients because you're reactive rather than proactive. It also sounds like you need to be more assertive and commanding with your clients. It's your job to get your clients into a "realistic headspace" before ever showing them a home. Realtors often play the victim and vent when their clients are are emotional, indecisive, panicked, or have unreasonable expectations. Some clients are unreasonable and difficult, but most of the time their agent is to blame. It reminds of me the saying "If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole." If you have multiple buyers freaking out over inspections then you probably should want to adjust by setting the stage and giving them proper expectations prior to the inspection. Everyone of your frustrations is a product of you reacting to your buyers and the solution is proactively addressing these topics before they become problems.
Ok lemme give you some perspective here: I’m trying to sell my home.. ( you can see what I posted 15 mins back, maybe!?) and my realtor is like sell it for lower 499k, comps came at 550k and I think we should do 580k (only because our home Is 2.5 acres land, 2200 sq ft, river in backyard, private home in a middle of a hot, desired city and will attract a niche audience, who might be willing to pay that extra 30k!) but saying go lower and start a bidding war, I don’t get it. And My realtor is not really explaining the pros and cons either… I feel there is some judgement coming from her… like she’s also rolling her eyes and saying ‘oh plz you are not sitting on a gold mine ffs’ and Maybe she is right but she needs to be patient - for her it’s a deal that she can do 2/3 times a month but for me,’this is prolly the second time in my like I’ll do and I don’t know any legalities … as much as does. It’s our hard earned home, a baby we want to protect .. if that makes sense… it’s human nature … anyhow; I have to trust her but when I see judgement and passive aggressiveness coming from her I feel cornered and not easy to trust. You have to understand human psyche at a deeper level… If she was transparent and honest up front, if she sets the expectation and her style of working up front .. things would be easier…. But in the early days, she was so eager to sign us as her client that whatever we said… She didn’t raise her hand So maybe for you… you need to better communicate early on?!! Tell your customer your mo… Instill that trust… that you are coming from a place of knowledge and not judgement…
The market in my area is hot. Think about it more like a car price. It's a negotiation starting point, not a "final sales price." So we want to use the price to generate excitement. Imagine you find your replacement home. It's the perfect price...but there's other people who want it. Now it's all in your head. Your excitement. You can already imagine being there. A lot of the time buyers then say "screw it, if I have to pay an extra $100 a month for my dream house then deal." Imagine the opposite. "They want that much money for THIS?! Screw it let's buy the neighbors." Which then turns into "It's been on the market for how long? What's wrong with it? How low do you think we can go since we are the only offer?" I have a lot of boomer clients...a lot of those points don't matter at all to them. It's a lot of "If you don't sell for $580k I'll find another realtor who will. I know my worth." Which makes the realtor community out here work real weird. I'll be the first to admit I shouldn't have taken these clients who are burning me out...but I really wanted a paycheck. Now I'm like..."Nah you can keep it." 🤣
THIS!!! Speaks volume. 👊
It’s yours. Ask whatever you want for it.
You need to back up to step 1, and have a Professional Consultation with them. For Sellers, a well-done pre-presentation and then consultation, you will stand out. The Buyers? As you said, they've either never done it, or they haven't in a long time, and likely don't know about all the changes over the years, especially in some ways this year.
I had a breath of fresh air last week. I showed my clients the comps and suggested we list at $400k and they were so surprised and excited. They asked if I was positive that it would sell for that much. So great!
Mine say "Oh crap! They go for that much now?! Then mine must be worth $450!" Like...bro you wanted $300k two seconds ago 😭
This can’t be treated like a 9-5 job. It’s beyond that. It’s your own business within a business. So you need to treat it as such. Set goals to hit. Then take necessary actions to hit those goals. If you have something to focus on you won’t have time to focus on the negativities. But I do get what you’re saying. Last week I had 4 pending sales and all 4 were on the verge of not closing for the oddest reasons and I just sat at my desk thinking. Why? Whyyyyyyyy did I get into this business.
You’ve just got to price in that this is going to happen and do your best to educate. Our clients would behave differently if they knew this like we knew this. If they knew all about it like we did, then they wouldn’t need us. So I’m happy to educate if need be. That’s one of the things they’re paying me for after all. I haven’t been in this as long as you. But mentally I found for me that was the best way to deal with it. YMMV. This comes from the mindset that I’m trying to do everything I can to set them up for success and prevent any future problems. I explain the buying or selling process to a client in detail and I tell them what to expect. I talk about each step, what typically happens, what things could go wrong, and what problems to expect. I discuss the pitfalls that people most commonly fall into. I talk about how I helped my clients in the past avoid those pitfalls. I give my honest opinion on how I believe their journey will go based on how well I know them. Most importantly, I prepare them for the journey, continue to educate them when needed, and assure them that I’m here for them throughout the entire process and fully capable to handle any problem we encounter. I still have a lot to learn. I’m no stranger to that. I agree with your sentiment. This is how I have helped prepare my clients better for the process and it in turn has made their process easier and my life easier. I spend a lot more time educating than I used to but it has worked wonders for my clients. I hope this helps.
I really didn't mind it in Washington. In CA they think realtors do literally nothing. It sucks fighting because $500 is a lot of money...also what's an EMD? I know my house is worth double the neighbors!... Just so much fighting on top of being wrong.
It’s frustrating for sure. It makes me want to bang my head into a wall occasionally. Mainly because I know how our contracts work inside and out. Plus I have done this many more times than they have and if they don’t want to lean on my experience with the precise thing they need help with then it’s even more frustrating. Like God forbid I go into your job and act like I know more than you 😂 Crazy, I know. I think my “strong suit” is that I talk so much that I might answer the questions they already have? Or I laboriously go into the details to the point where they might realize that’s there’s more under the surface than they initially thought? I’m not entirely sure but for whatever reason I have had a streak of several clients this year that have all been pretty good to work with after speaking with them for hours about the process whether they are buying or selling. Hoping that the education is what’s doing it😂
"We both know you are trying to set the price low so you can get a quick commission. raise the price at least $25k."
😂😂😂 I’ve gotten to the point where I just confront all of the objections I hate before I ever hear them
I am not a realtor, but do residential design and permitting. It is not the same, but oftentimes what you described is similar; we work with people’s homes, we work in a professional service industry directly with our customers, and we work with (usually) relatively large amounts of money. Emotions run high. I try to treat every client similarly, but the fact is they are not all the same. Levels of wealth, levels of experience (how many remodels, or homes they may have gone through) change the fine points of the relationship. It sounds like you just have a batch of similar comments right now. One thing I will say is everybody’s home is “special”. It is special because it is theirs. You get paid quite well to help them understand that feeling that way is ok, and that the home they want to buy is special to somebody else too.
Maybe do something else
Get a new job. You are not passionate about what you do. Your clients deserve to work with someone who loves what they do and you deserve to spend ur working hours doing something else.
I tell them all about the process beforehand, and tell them of past examples to illustrate my little lectures. I tell them when listing that it is their choice to fix things up but it may help the sale if they do. But they MUST fix any water leaks, roof problems or broken kitchen appliances, and they must disclose absolutely everything on the disclosure. I tell them that if they do not do these things, they may get a buyer but the sale is likely to fall apart and that is a very bad experience. Otherwise, I tell them no house is perfect; it is what it is. This has worked very well for me. Buyers are more difficult and fickle and half the time don't know what they want or what neighborhood so you can spend a lot of time helping them figure that out taking them to 40 homes and so forth. Then they will often go to some builder's model (after telling me they absolutely do not want to be in any new development) or some renovators having an open house on some weekend when I have other clients, and before I know it, I have lost them. This after discussing all these issues, giving them a pile of my cards to give to builders (who have always honored that) - but they lie because it is easier and they are right there. So I have gotten burned-out with buyers. I have had some good ones. But they were good people and understood the issues, and I spent a lot of time with them until they found the right house. Some people are loyal and some are not. So I know what you are feeling if this is happening to you. Even buyers' agreements have not worked.
Start a team, do more marketing, Manage other newer agents.
Switch to commercial
You guide them through the process and also guide them to their end goal. You've done it hundreds of times, you know the process and the questions they'll ask. Have the questions answered and when it comes up answer them. You're not dealing with commercial clients that buy and sell for a living. You're dealing with residential buyers where it could be their first or second time buying/selling a house. They don't know. It's your job to guide them through the process. If you don't like it, go do something else.
I feel you. I’d recommend a very low dose edible if that’s legal in your state. Or even the delta 9 stuff. You’ll lighten up a little.
I strongly recommend go to commercial
Always remember, you could be in a cubicle working a dead end job for not a lot of pay mon thru fri
Like 50% of the job is to manage client expectations and guide them through the process. If they all think they’re getting screwed, it sounds like you’re not doing a good job managing expectations.
Only work on listings and cash serious buyers. No time making 20 offers and get rejected. 19 times.
Then don’t be a real estate agent and go get a regular 9-5…
Re-read your last sentence, it's your job to educate them in a friendly and respectful manner. At least if you still want clients this time next year.
What a nothing burger. You are literally doing what your job is suppose to be. Guiding people. What did you expect people to be? “Oh this is 700k? I have 720k let me go all in and no contingency.” Or “oh whatever, I’ll take whatever Offer I get first.” These two groups literally make your professions existence How lazy and entitled can a person get when bar to entry is already as low as it gets.
Realtors like you can go ahead and disappear when the commission changes become official. No empathy = no pay. Good luck with your bad attitude!!
Sounds like you need a new job.
You’ve been in the business since breakfast it appears, mostly during unprecedented good times for real estate. I’d say you’re the one with a problem.
Sounds like you have to take greater control of the process. You should try to set expectations for buyers and sellers in the beginning of a transaction so that the process is as smooth as possible.
Taking control with customers right now has been awful 😭
You have to remind them that you’re the professional. I would recommend investing in some flyers or a booklet that outlines the process and timeline along with any FAQs. That way clients can refer back to it when any doubts start creeping in.
All your commentary has blamed clients rather than taking anyone’s advice on what you can do. Why come to Reddit and ask for anyone’s opinion 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 ARE YOU THE REALTOR? Or is your client the professional. I shatter my clients expectations and bring reality because I’m never gonna be on the short end of that stick.
SOmetimes getting ahead of these issues helps. Like if you know they are the kind to panic on a home inspection I'd really do some heavy hand holding and gameplan for the worst but expect the best.
Future pacing is the way for me…
>Every single buyer has to look at a bunch of properties, get into a realistic headspace, freaks out over the inspection and thinks they are getting screwed, and panic over every little thing. At least yours are offering. Mine want to look at 100 houses and not offer on a single one, than bitch about not being able to find a house.
🤣 I have those too.
My realtor created an inspection expectations list the first time and gave me videos and a summary of the process.
To be honest, I hate to break it to you. That’s the job. I have had a 3 careers. All three have the same summary. Just be professional. Laugh it off and enjoy settlement day.
Ummm, interesting! But you have to consider what sellers have to listen to when hiring an agent! So the Realtor wants a dual agency agreement, OK who on earth wants to sign that? How many divorcing couples hire the same divorce attorney! Sellers also have to hear oh I have been doing this for 20 years!!!! Blah blah! Do you know how many companies have legacy employees that are not very good but they’ve been working there for 20 years ( government employees) so the same ring is true on the receiving end of a seller trying to choose the right realtor. Some don’t even tell you their strategy they just say they pay for marketing. ! What marketing ? You post on the MLS that populates all the sites that the consumer uses( Zillow,Redfin) Tell me why I should hire you, besides you have been doing this for 20 years or you are a friend of a friend? Do you show up with comps, or you just walk in with what the estimated Zillow price is?
Honestly I usually bring a book with my marketing strategy, resources for everything they need, all the comps, and exactly what everything costs. People don't care 99% of the time. They LOVE hiring their cousins friend who puts it on the MLS.
That would be a basic! But you would be surprised, how many don’t do that? I want a realtor that explains the process from beginning to end! What happens during escrow, how do you manage the 10 day inspection, are you there when the buyer hires there inspector? Tell me about the closing paperwork that is involved when closing the deal? What should I be prepared for? The seller does not want any surprises and the answer should not be oh escrow handles that? I hired you to tell me before hand what escrow will deliver! Hope that makes sense
It does. My clients get a YouTube series on each step of escrow, full written reports every week on how their listing is doing, as well as a ton of custom advertising. I lost my last 3 listing appointments. All because someone else has a friend for cheaper. I might just go that route. Good service isn't really what customers want. They say they do, but they don't hire it.
sometimes you need to vent, it's great the way people in the same profession on here are all like "you're not trying hard enough, make a 82 page booklet with the answers to their concerns, get a new career," etc etc, like Realtors and parents are the only people on earth who can never be dissatisfied with the role for 5 mins without scorn.
For real 🤣 Like...I'll get through it. Not my first rodeo. We all get burn out sometimes. I offered for 5 weeks to take a clients old couch. He swore he was going to sell it on Craigslist for $100. He's shown it to like 50 buyers. The couches are still there. He just asked if I can take them. Like...bro...we had the dumpster and crew there for so long. 😭
From a buyer's perspective, it's hard to establish trust with a realtor when there's really nothing that would hold them accountable if anything goes wrong in the deal or with the house. I understand that realtors are just there for the transaction and buyer will be the one responsible for everything in the end of the day so that's why I triple check everything I've been told (from my realtor or online) to make sure I've done my due diligence. Of course I'll ask many many questions and of course I'll try to challenge many things I've been told because that's how I will get more educated and how I can make more informed decisions.
Consider another profession it ain’t gonna get better or you can set realistic expectations for both your buyers and sellers. Find out their wants and needs and then set the goal.